Core sense — the servants and slaves of Syria, of mixed coloursgenerated
1figurative · مجاز — inferred
With ḍamm, mentioned in a tradition: the servants and slaves of Syria; because of their whiteness and redness, or blackness; or because of their whiteness and redness and blackness, likened to a thing such as is called أَبْقَعُ; or because they are of the Greeks and the Negroes; or because of the mixture of their colours, their predominant colours being white and yellow.
A'Obeyd says that what is meant is whiteness and yellowness, and that they are so called because of the difference of their colours and their being begotten of two races.
But Kt says that البُقْعَانُ means those in whom is blackness and whiteness, and that one who is white without any admixture of blackness is not called ابقع; how then should the Greeks be called بقعان when they are purely white? He adds that he thinks the meaning is the offspring of Arabs, who are black, [which is not to be understood literally, but rather in the sense of swarthy,] by female slaves of the Greeks, who are white.
1.1also applied to waterers—بُقْعٌ
That is, سُقَاةٌ; because their bodies become sprinkled with the water, so that some parts of them are wetted.
1.2figurative · مجازI saw a people wearing patched garments—رَأَيْتُ قَوْمًا بُقْعًا
Said by El-Hajjáj, and explained by him in this way: that is, because of their bad condition.
1.3a herd of camels having white humps—ذَوْدٌ بُقْعُ الذُّرَى
1.4the mirage—الأَبْقَعُ
So called because it varies, or takes on different hues.
1.5land containing [or diversified with] small pebbles—أَرْضٌ بَقْعَآءُ
1.6figurative · مجازa barren, or unfruitful, year—سَنَةٌ بَقْعَآءُ
Or a year in which there is both fruitfulness and barrenness.
a year in which the rain falls in places of the land, not everywhere—عَامٌ أَبْقَعُ
a year of little rain—عَامٌ أُبَيْقِعُ
The diminutive form is used here to denote terribleness.
Show Lane's original text
, (S, K,) with damm, (K,) mentioned in a trad., (S,) The servants and slaves of Syria; because of their whiteness and redness, (S, K,) or blackness; (S;) or because of their whiteness and redness and blackness likened to a thing such as is termed أَبْقَعُ ; (TA;) or (K) because they are of the Greeks and the Negroes: (S, K:) or so called because of the mixture of their colours; their predominant colours being white and yellow: A'Obeyd says that what is meant is whiteness and yellowness, and they are thus called because of their difference of colours and their being begotten of two races: but Kt says, البُقْعَانُ signifies those in whom is blackness and whiteness; and one who is white without any admixture of blackness is not called ابقع : how then should the Greeks be called بقعان when they are purely white? and he adds that he thinks the meaning to be, the offspring of Arabs, who are black, [which is not to be understood literally, but rather in the sense of swarthy,] by female slaves of the Greeks, who are white. (TA.) بُقْعٌ is also applied to Waterers ( سُقَاةٌ ); because their bodies become sprinkled with the water, so that some parts thereof are wetted. (K.) رَأَيْتُ قَوْمًا بُقْعًا I saw a people wearing patched garments; said by El-Hajjáj; (K, TA;) and thus explained by him; i. e., by reason of their evil condition. (TA.) ذَوْدٌ بُقْعُ الذُّرَى A herd of camels having white humps. (TA.) الأَبْقَعُ The mirage; because of its varying, or assuming different hues. (TA.) أَرْضٌ بَقْعَآءُ Land containing [or diversified with] small pebbles. (TA.) سَنَةٌ بَقْعَآءُ A barren, or an unfruitful, year: (S, K:) or a year in which is fruitfulness and barrenness. (S, Msb, K.) And عَامٌ أَبْقَعُ A year in which the rain falls in places of the land, not universally. (TA.) And عَامٌ أُبَيْقِعُ , (K,) the dim. form being used to denote terribleness, (TA,) A year of little rain. (K, TA.)